I've been remiss in my blogging

So I'm trying to remedy that now. I'm also procrastinating... but then, I think that's the only time I blog.

So what has been happening lately? My host family is amazing. The oldest of the two boys has been including me in a lot of stuff, whenever his friends come over. I've joined a choir, the Monkey Club (which includes my first expierence with bartending), actually worked on my proposal and have gotten into the swing of things.

I've gotten propositioned by an Itallian guy on the Subway who called me 'bella' and was quite charming. He kissed my hand.

Last sunday I went to a folk dance and a guy picked me up (I was rather clueless until the end). I felt bad telling him he could call me as a friend, but I had a boyfriend. I actually haven't told SG about the pickup expierence after what happened when I told him about the Itallian guy (SG compiled a list of every language he could speak of, and sent it to me. The topic of the list? How to say 'I have a boyfriend/I'm taken' in as many langages as he could translate. Cute, but he also told me he felt rather helpless when he was halfway around the world).

I've learned and held my first rudimentary conversations in Swedish, and on Sunday (it was a busy weekend) I went to my homestay father's parents' house and held a pretty good conversation with the mother, who speaks about as much english as I do Swedish. I'm pushing myself hard, even though it's really really tedious and really really HARD.

I also on Saturday went to a muscial- a swedish modern intrpretation of the Jungle Book. Facinating, and I didn't understand much of what was being said, but there was lots of visual and music jokes that I got, and the music was cool.

I had some low points last week where I was really struggling and feeling like I was isolated. It helped though on Thursday I went on a day cruise with the Monkey Club. It was a fun trip and I enjoyed the time I spent with the group. There were a few rough moments for me- people were drinking, though not to excess, and I felt really guilty because in the States I wouldn't be allowed to drink. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but I've come to realize that drinking is not as big of thing as it is made to be in the States.

Each day I'm learning more about the culture... through politics, and the otherall way Swedes think. I want to note here that any genrelzations I make here are just that... I'm genralizing, and as such I might not be correct at times. Still, I think some of my observations are valid.

I'm still planning to get some photos up here, but my internet access is limited, and I have lots and lots of reading to do. Most people go aborad for a break in academics... not happening for me.

So that's the crash course on what's happening, I'll try and get up more later like my yarn adventures and some cultural observations.